Between the Sheets
30 ml Cognac, 30 ml White rum, 20 ml Triple sec, 15 ml Lemon juice, 1 Lemon twist
Photo: Brandy alexander by Jason Lam · CC BY 2.0 · All credits
Ingredients
Measures below are multiplied for 12 drinks. Unmeasurable amounts such as “a splash” are left as written.
- 360 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 360 ml line. Cognac
- 360 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 360 ml line. Crème de cacao - A dark crème de cacao gives the better drink
- 360 ml Measuring jug A measuring jug: pour to the 360 ml line. Double cream
- 12 pinches Nutmeg (optional)
Measured in Millilitres (UK). Sign in to read these in American measures. Print a kitchen card at this size.
What the jigger, the spoons and the jug hold, in millilitres and in fluid ounces, is on the measures reference.
Quick version
- Shake the three hard with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.
Method
Batch (12 drinks)Batch (12 drinks) - about 1.08 l of measured ingredients, before ice and dilution.
Timings and per-glass steps below are written for one drink and are not scaled. A full jug takes longer to chill, so stir or shake until it is properly cold rather than by the clock, and pour over fresh ice one glass at a time.
- Chill a coupe.
- Shake the cognac, crème de cacao and cream with plenty of ice for 15 seconds - longer than you think, so it comes out thick.
- Double strain into the coupe.
- Grate a little nutmeg over the top.
Serve it
Volumes in this story are multiplied for the size above, along with the ingredients. Years, ratios and the capacities of glasses and jugs are left as written.
Brandy Alexander
This began life as the Alexander, a gin drink from around 1910, and turned into something much better when someone swapped the gin for brandy. It is famously the drink of the 1970s, when it was drunk in enormous numbers at weddings and was the reason a lot of bars kept cream behind the counter at all. It is also the ideal pudding.
Getting it right
Two things make the difference between this being lovely and being a glass of milk. The first is shaking it much harder and longer than feels reasonable - cream needs a proper beating to come out silky rather than thin. The second is the crème de cacao: the dark sort tastes of real cocoa, and the clear sort tastes of sugar and regret. Grated nutmeg on top is not optional in this house.
Tasting notes
Chocolate and soft cognac, with a texture like melted ice cream and a dry, faintly spicy finish from the nutmeg. Serve it after dinner, in small glasses, and do not apologise for it.
More Cognac cocktails
Horse's Neck
40 ml Cognac, 120 ml Ginger ale, 1 dash Angostura bitters, 1 Lemon twist
Sidecar
50 ml Cognac, 20 ml Triple sec, 20 ml Lemon juice, 5 ml Sugar, 1 Orange twist